Modwright SWL9.0 SE Tube Rolling

Dennis, I tried the RCA 5687 bronze plates, not on the preamp, but on a Modwright 999ES cdp. They sounded veiled and lifeless compared to the ones above. Maybe it was the tubes?

Yes, they do Nzera. I have both, a Modwright 9000es and teh Modwright SWL 9.0SE preamp.

I have the T-Sol 5687s, and they are very good tubes, but they are bit too edgy and SS-like for my tastes, and I always find myself rolling them out. But I've heard these work very well in other systems, however. Go figure!

The GE JAN 7044s have most of the qualities of the T-Sols, with the addition of a truly wonderful midrange, less graininess. These are very cheap (~$20/pr.) and some consider them the poor man's Bendix 6900s.

The Sylvania GB65687s work very well in the Modwright preamp. They are "tubier" sounding than the T-Sols or the 7044s, and have that nice tube bloom, but I wouldn't call them overly euphonic either. Again, midrange on these is warmer and more to my liking than the T-Sols. There may be a slight (and I mean slight) sacrifice at the bass extreme (tubier bass, perhaps) but to me it is worth it.

Hope this helps...ultimately your preferences and system will dictate what sounds best to you, but both tubes above are worth a listen. The nice thing about the 5687 family of tubes is that they are really good sounding tubes, and relatively cheap in the NOS world (well, except for the 6900s).

Hi Dennis,

The first "6" shouldn't be there. It should read Sylvania Gold Brand GB-5687. I have the gold pin versions. I also have a pair of the 5-star GE 5687s, but have not had a chance to try them yet.

I ran the Modwright 999ES with my Modwright preamp, and now I run a Modwright 9000ES with the Modwright preamp. Is this too much of a good thing, or overkill? Absolutely NO WAY! They synergize very well together and get to the essence of music. Very musical, very enjoyable.

The stock Sony players have no sonic resemblences to the Modwright-modded ones, can't even compare the two.